


they say i'll get hurt, if i'm not like ice

by youngowl



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, My First Work in This Fandom, This Was Supposed To Be A One Shot, but family and backstory you know, how does this site work, i wrote this instead of doing calculus homework, strings of fate au, trimberly - Freeform, warning: some homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21838633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngowl/pseuds/youngowl
Summary: Trini never understood the strings, not really.For as long as she can remember, she’s always seen them. She could only see her own, though, which she quickly learned was true for mostly everyone. Each string was a different color, each one unique to the person she’s tied to. If she spent senior year with only one string that wasn't her family, she'd be perfectly fine.She just had to get hit by a train with three idiots and Billy.
Relationships: Kimberly Hart/Trini
Comments: 37
Kudos: 174





	1. i know i've got friends, i still get so lonely

**Author's Note:**

> title and chapters -song: feelings by hayley kiyoko

Trini never understood the strings, not really. 

For as long as she can remember, she’s always seen the strings. She could only see her own, though, which she quickly learned was true for mostly everyone. Each string was a different color, each one unique to the person she’s tied to. The first four, and only four that stayed on her fingers consistently, were the ones leading to her family. 

As a baby, she would follow the light purple string tied to her right index finger. Confused then, and still confused now, as to why she could see it, but not touch it. Crawling for what seemed like hours, until she found her mom making dinner in the kitchen. The string would sway in the air as her mom stirred the fried rice. Baby Trini watched, transfixed, wholeheartedly entertained by the simple, untouchable string. Her mom would later explain the concept of how every string connected you to someone important in your life. Trini, now at six years old, looked again in awe at her four strings. The light purple one, which she specified as lavender later on, represented her connection to her mom. It seemed fitting that her mother’s color symbolizes grace, femininity, elegance. As a child, she found the color comforting. It was pretty, just like her mom. Many years and many arguments later, the string only reminds Trini of what her mom wishes Trini was like. 

_ “Trinity, why don’t you wear more dresses from time to time?” _

_ “When will you bring home a nice boy,  _ mija _? How about Troy, from church?” _

Sometimes, Trini wishes she could tell her family the truth. She only wore the dresses to get her mom off her back. She only talked to Troy because they both pined over the brunette girl sitting a few pews in front of them. 

(She passed by the girl once, after communion. When their eyes met, Trini was blessed with a heartstopping smile. Troy snickered, she flipped him off, and she swears to this day that she absolutely did not stumble over her own feet. But if she did, could anyone blame her?)

Her dad’s string was a solid turquoise color. Trini finds it calming, it reminds her of the sky. While her relationship with her mom got rocky over the years, her dad was just pleased that she liked sports. He would even calm June down when her and Trini got into a fight. Gabriel and his daughter would bond over watching soccer, both of them quick to their feet, yelling at the screen as if the ref could hear them. Once in a while, Trini would simply reflect in the moment, eyes tracing the blue string, tied right next to the lavender one. Look around the room as the blue got tangled with her sports drink, wrapping around the guitar leaning against the wall, before eventually settling itself on her dad’s pinky. The same pinky that promised her that no matter what, he will always support her. She will always be his little girl. 

While her parent’s colors were soft and comforting, her brother’s were loud and annoying. The neon orange and green summed them up pretty well: youthful, energetic, demanding of attention. When they were younger, the terror twins were disappointed to find out that their family will never mix them up. Whenever Trini would follow their two strings wrapped around her middle finger, they were never too far apart, and they were always tangled together. 

One time, Michael stayed home from school because of the flu. Gabe was utterly devastated that he had to endure the school day alone. Trini ended up only going to first period before feeling a massive pull from the green string. Her mom texted her not too soon after to go home to watch her little brother. Worrying the whole way, she picked up the needed medicine and dashed home to find her poor brother shivering under piles of comforters. After taking the medicine and a much needed nap, Michael asked her about the strings while they were eating the chicken noodle soup that Trini somehow scrambled together. 

“What color is my string?” 

Trini’s hand paused in midair, about to take a sip from the spoon. “What do you mean,  _ amigo _ ?” 

He sniffed. “Like, Gabe for me is  _ rojo _ , but Gabe says my string for him is brown. Which sucks because I hate brown.”

“Well,” Trini put down her spoon. “For me, your string is  _ verde _ , and Gabe’s is  _ naranja _ . I actually had a feeling that you needed help because I felt a pull from your string in my math class.” 

“ _ De verdad _ ?” His face lit up. He looked at his hands, his right hand gingerly moving to pluck at thin air, presumably at one of his strings. She felt the pull again. She held up her own hand, and tugged on the green string. Michael’s eyes widened. “That’s so cool!”

Trini chuckled at his delight. She tilted her head. “What’s  _ mi color _ for you?”

He smiled, all toothy, showing off the corn stuck in his teeth. “You’re yellow. Gabe says you’re yellow for him, too,  _ y no entiendo _ . Isn’t yellow a happy color?”

Trini raised an eyebrow. While, yeah, she didn’t expect that to be her color, she felt slightly offended by her brother’s statement. True, she’s not a ray of sunshine, especially not to people at school. But she  _ does _ smile, and only her brothers can say they’ve seen her laugh so hard that the milk she was drinking came out her nose. 

She was gonna defend herself, when she saw his mouth twitch, a sign that he was joking and trying to sound serious. She stuck her tongue out at him. “Maybe it’s fitting that you’re a boring color like brown.” 

He gasped. “Hey!” He balled up a napkin and threw it at her. She sputtered, before retaliating with her own napkin. He ran away, only spilling a little soup on the floor, rushing to grab the paper towels.

When the front door opened, their mom’s jaw dropped at the mess of their living room. Trini had Michael on her shoulders in a fireman’s carry. At June’s gasp, both Trini and Michael’s eyes widened, caught in the act. She unceremoniously dropped the 9-year-old onto the couch, ignoring his indignant shriek. Gabe entered the doorway, pouting at how much fun his brother had while Gabe was stuck in school. The petulance quickly got replaced with mischief before he gave a war cry, running straight at Trini and tackling her on top of his brother on the couch.

June just sighed. “ _ Ay dios mío _ .” She closed her eyes and massaged her temple, her children screaming at each other in the background.

  
  


~~~

  
  


Only those four strings stayed. She barely had any strings, and when they appeared, they hardly stayed long before her family packed everything up and moved. She could count on one hand the amount of strings she’s ever had, barring her family members. 

She briefly had a red one with Troy from church. They went to the same school together, and they both suffered through being forced to attend mass. They both were broody at times, and she appreciated his honest, serious approach to life. He ended up dating the girl from church, (her name was Emma), and finding his own group of friends. 

There was Mike, whose dark green string wrapped around her thumb for a good few months. They connected through their Spanish roots, and he quickly became the older brother she never had. She would third wheel on his dates with his girlfriend, Emily, but she didn’t mind. He would take her to McDonalds when her mom got on her nerves, and they would have a contest to see who could eat more chicken nuggets in under 5 minutes. He understood her need for silence, and they both had a competitive drive to outdo each other in dares. One time, Emily had to stop them from their handstand competition because they were both about to pass out. (She definitely would have won, though). 

And then, there was Kira. She was Trini’s realization of why she would never satisfy her mom’s expectations of bringing a nice boy home. When she first saw Kira performing at the school’s talent show, Trini was done for. She had an inkling that she liked girls in the way her mom wants her to like boys, and seeing the girl scream her heart out on stage sealed Trini’s doubts. She congratulated Kira on her performance, Kira invited her to a party that night with a glint in her eye, and the next day Trini woke up with a hangover and a yellow string on her left hand. It was the most exhilarating few months of her life. The constant fear of getting caught, along with the pure happiness she felt, and the freeing experience of finally accepting herself for who she is. She would never regret her time with Kira. She does regret not locking her door, resulting in her mom walking in on them making out, prompting their next move.

The yellow string stayed strong for a little while after the move. They really tried to stay in touch; late night phone calls detailing their plans to attend the same college, countless “I miss you” texts, etc. But the time difference and distance proved too difficult. Kira ended up falling for an artist, and they mutually agreed to end things. 

(Just because she knew it was for the better, doesn’t mean it still didn’t hurt. A lot.)

  
  


~~~

  
  


Her family has been in Angel Grove for a few months, and Trini was still getting over her break up. This time, she purposely isolated herself. She didn’t try to make any friends at this school, instead, she spent more time doing Tai Chi on the mountains. She sees the guy on the train car watching her, but he’s never bothered her, so she won’t bother him. 

One day, she was sitting alone at lunch when a boy from her English class, (she thinks his name starts with a B?) plops down next to her. Before she can ask if she’s in someone’s seat, he talks.

“Hi Trini. My name’s Billy, Billy Cranston. I’m in your English class, which you did a really good job on the last presentation. You were very detailed, and Ty wasn’t. Which isn’t fair because you deserve a good grade. I just hope Ms. Johnson can see that you worked really hard and Ty didn’t. Anyway, I have a question.” 

Trini blinked.

“Why do you only have four strings?”

Trini choked on her pizza. 

Billy’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry!” He went to pat her on her back while she was coughing, but he hesitated before pulling his hand back. His hands flailed a little, before he quickly left the table. Trini tried to stop coughing, people were already looking at her weird and she did not ask for this attention. It was starting to subside when a water bottle was placed gently in front of her. She gave Billy a grateful nod and drank, the cool water soothing her throat. He seemed confused at the gesture.

“Thank you,” she said between sips. 

He beamed. “You are very welcome. I would have given you my water, but I’m not too comfortable with sharing food and drinks.”

She nodded in understanding. She took a deep breath before asking, “How do you know?”

“How do I know what?” He blinked. “Oh! About your strings? I can see everyone’s strings. It was very distracting when I was little, and I made people mad when I pointed it out. So I don’t do that anymore. I just watch the strings from time to time, noting how the color changes from one end to another, depending on each person. But you made me very curious because you only have four. Most people have at least seven, statistically.”

Trini snorted. Of course her attempt to stay alone only made her stand out. “If you couldn’t tell, Billy, I don’t exactly have a lot of friends. I’m pretty new around here, too.”

“But you moved here four months ago. When you first came into my English class, you had five strings: purple, blue, orange, green, and yellow. Now the yellow one is gone. I expected you to gain more because most new kids at school gain at least two in the first few months. But you stayed at four.” 

Trini’s heart ached. If anyone else, she would have punched them in the face. But Billy’s earnest expression and genuinity made her trust him, despite his blunt description of her loneliness. “I . . . I broke up with someone. And I haven’t tried to create more strings because my family moves a lot. The four strings you see are all my family.”

Before she bore her soul out even more, she gathered her things. “I need to go talk to a teacher. It was nice talking to you, Billy.” She smiled at his enthusiastic, “Bye, Trini!” and she walked away as fast as possible. 

(They started talking more and partnering up during English class, and he told her about how he lost his father’s string. He also apologized if he made her uncomfortable during that first conversation. A deep blue string soon appeared on her hand, and he clapped happily when she walked into English that day. She couldn’t think of a better color for him - he had so much knowledge and integrity that she didn’t think she deserved him as a friend.

He said her string for him was yellow.)

  
  


~~~

  
  


Almost a year after moving to Angel Grove, Trini had five strings total. And she was okay with that. If she spent senior year with only one friend at school, she’d be perfectly fine.

Then Billy Cranston blew up a mountain. And they just had to get hit by a train with three other idiots.

  
  



	2. if i look in your eyes, i'll want you to hold me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trini reflects on how she's not ending high school with only five strings, and she is perfectly okay with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone's been so kind with their comments on this fic, thank you all so much *insert pouty eyes emoji*

_ Deep breath _ .

_ In. _

_ Out.  _

Trini closed her eyes, slowly going through the motions. Tai Chi was never her first option, but once she gave it a shot, she found comfort in the repetitive movements. The breeze chilled her bones, but sneaking out was a spur of the moment thing; she didn’t think to grab a decent jacket for the weather. Her eyes opened, leisurely scanning the sight of a rebuilding Angel Grove, the moon lighting up areas where the light posts got cut out. Rita’s attack did a number on the city, creating a mass movement of volunteers helping out wherever they can. Funny how the destruction of the town was the catalyst in creating an actual  _ community _ . The people have never been more empathetic; opening their homes to those whose house got destroyed; donating clothes, food, furniture; taking time out of their day to help reconstruct the buildings.

Her eyes lingered on her hands, which now boasted eight strings. 

(Statistically one more than average, according to Billy).

The original four stretched far into the town, lost to the darkness of the night, but she knew they all led to her house. The orange and green kept swaying in jerky movements, a sign that her brothers were probably wrestling over a toy instead of sleeping. The turquoise and lavender stayed relatively still, so her parents were actually sleeping. 

The dark blue string reached in the opposite direction of her family’s strings, once in a while jerking up and down in joy. Trini smiled. Billy was definitely having some sort of breakthrough in one of his projects. She can just imagine his excitement, talking himself through the process step by step, clapping giddily when he finally gets it. 

Sometimes, she has to double check that it’s still there. The memory of that night still makes Trini choke up with emotion. Losing the comfort of the dark blue wrapped around her finger devastated Trini. She would have gone to hell to get him back, and she knew the other rangers felt the same way. After her quick bout of disbelief when the string suddenly reappeared, immense relief overtook her body and tears sprung to her eyes as they gave him a suffocating group hug (after asking permission, of course). 

Trini gulped and closed her eyes again. 

_ In. _

_ Out. _

Her eyes opened, this time lingering on the red string that followed Billy’s, though slightly at a different angle. It sat unmoving, ensuring her fearless leader was sleeping well. Ever since the attack, Jason’s dad finally got off his back about getting a sports scholarship. When Jason saved Sam Scott that day, the teenager didn’t think much of the string connecting the fisher to the red ranger. That was a fun conversation when Jason got home that day.

(After Jason explained how the strings can out them to their loved ones, Trini’s been on high alert. Billy had no qualms, his mother already knew despite the blue ranger’s attempts to keep it a secret. Zack admitted to them that he told his mom everything from the beginning. Kim just shrugged, her parents were almost always travelling for work, so she had nothing to worry about. 

Trini dreads the day her family finds out.)

Trini stretched out her arms, giving herself a break and sitting down on the dirt. She rested her elbows on her knees, holding her hand up to focus on the black string on her left middle finger. It vibrated at a consistent beat, telling Trini that Zack was probably playing the guitar she let him borrow. He used to take lessons, but when his mom became ill it became too expensive, resulting in him ultimately selling his instrument. When Zack’s eyes lit up at the guitar in the Gomez living room, June all but insisted Zack take it home to play for his mother.

At her mom’s determination of meeting her new friends, the rangers came over for dinner the other day. June became quite taken to all of them, and she noticed how close Trini was with Zack.

(She did notice that Trini was closer with Kimberly, but she chalked it up to them being the only two girls in the friend group. That’s all she wanted to believe. Trini had to bite her tongue hard that night).

He had perfect manners the whole time he was in the Gomez household, utterly shocking Trini because she only knew him as the thrill seeking dumbass he actually was. Her mother had Zack on the top of her “people that Trini should date” list, followed closely by Jason because the Scott’s still had a good reputation, despite Jason’s little Bessie scandal. Billy came next, because Billy, and the rest of the list consisted of various other boys her age that June somehow came in contact with in Angel Grove. 

(Trini doesn’t know what makes her angrier: the fact that the list was solely composed of guys, or the fact that she spends more time with Kimberly than all of the people on the list combined).

She closed her eyes and sighed, letting her head fall on her knees. Just the thought of Kimberly got her heart beating faster. Trini was hiding her face from the world, but she can just imagine the distracting pink string on her left ring finger. It would stretch off the cliff, veering off to the right, near the edge of the forest. Kimberly lived near the mountains, the forest was basically her backyard. When Trini found out, it made sense to her that Kim felt so comfortable cliff diving at night. 

Usually at this time of the night, the pink string would only jerk every once in a while. Kimberly could never sit still for too long, even in her sleep. If, on the rare occasion, Kim was actually asleep this late, she would unconsciously reposition herself every five minutes. The one time Trini fell asleep at Kim’s house, she woke up to Kimberly swinging her entire body on top of yellow ranger. She didn’t want to wake her up, so she laid still in agony until Kim moved off her a few minutes later. She finally let out the breath she was holding, ready to leave the bed and sneak out, when Kim wrapped an arm over Trini’s waist, pulling her closer. 

(Trini didn’t sleep that night).

She felt her body relax as she let out another breath. She didn’t want to say anything out loud, but she can personally admit to herself that she fell for the pink ranger. Hard. 

“Isn’t it too late to be dissociating?”

Trini sprung up, instinctively getting into a defensive stance. Her arms fell limp at her side when she saw who it was. Speak of the devil. 

“Shouldn’t you be asleep, Princess?” 

Kim smiled softly, rudely making Trini stop breathing. “I could be asking you the same thing.” She reached Trini, her eyebrows knitting together as she reached out her hand and gently brushed Trini’s exposed bicep. She frowned when the latina shivered. “Aren’t you cold?”

Yeah. That’s definitely why she shivered. “Not as cold as my soul.” 

Kim barked out a laugh, the beautiful sound cutting through the low hum of crickets in the background. Trini felt her heart flutter, despite her mental will to smash down her feelings. At some point, between the Krispy Kreme (not) date, Trini ripping Kim’s locker off its hinges, and almost dying together because of a crazy green lady, Kimberly wormed her way into Trini’s heart. All the rangers did, admittedly, but Kim resided right in the center, in control of Trini’s entire being. 

Trini snapped out of her own thoughts at something weighing down her shoulders. One glance told her it was Kim’s leather jacket, the one with the soft inner lining that kept the girl warm on the coldest days of Angel Grove. Trini shook her head, moving to give it back, but Kim raised an eyebrow, daring her. Knowing she can never deny Kimberly anything, Trini sighed. At least she had a soft hoodie on, so it made Trini feel better about taking her jacket. She pulled her arms through the sleeves, ignoring how they extended past her hands substantially. 

Kim noticed, chuckling to herself. She opened her mouth, probably ready to fire off a short joke, only to bite her lip at Trini’s glare. She settled with a small smirk, “Better?”

“Yeah.” In the past, Trini used to think green eyes were her weakness. Past Trini also had never met Kimberly Hart. Her brown eyes were mesmerizing. They held so much emotion behind them, emotions that Trini couldn’t figure out for the life of her. Trini didn’t want to get her hopes up, either. “A lot better,” she smiled back.

Kim didn’t say anything in response. They just stood there, searching each other’s eyes for who knows what. Trini was the first to look away, the pure intensity of Kimberly’s gaze becoming too much. 

“So,” she cleared her throat. “Why are you up here?” 

“I was awake,” Kim shrugged. “I noticed your string leading to the cliff, so I knew you were awake, too.” She smiled, this time her tongue poking out between her teeth. “I figured we could be awake together.” 

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Kim effortlessly made Trini’s heart stop beating. “Sounds like a solid plan. What’s the next step?”

The pink ranger slung her arm over Trini’s shoulders and started walking away from the cliff’s edge. “I take you home, and you can actually get some sleep for once.”

Ironic, considering the last time Trini slept over. At Trini’s look of doubt, Kim sighed, her voice becoming softer, more serious. “I know you haven’t been sleeping well. And I think maybe a change of scenery could help.”

Seeing Trini about to protest, Kim continued, essentially cutting her off before she even started. “I know you’ve been having nightmares. Trust me, I have them, too. But your bags under your eyes suggest you haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in a long, long time.” 

Trini shut her mouth. She wasn’t wrong. The reason she was awake in the first place was because of her emerald green dreams (nightmares) of an insane lady obsessed with gold. Maybe this would actually help her. 

( _ Don’t do it _ , the voice in the back of her head said.  _ You’ll just fall deeper _ .)

“Yeah,” she found herself saying. “That might work”.

_ Dumbass _ .

~~~

_ Drip. Drip. _

_ “Dee Dee, my friend.”  _

_ Trini bolted up, the sensation too familiar, too terrifying. Breathe, she told herself. Wild eyes looked around her room, the dented wall being reminder of how weak she was. Wait, didn’t she fall asleep on Kim’s floor? (She refused to sleep in Kim’s bed, too scared that Kim would hear how fast her heart was beating). _

_ Glancing to either side of the bed, her confusion left her body when she saw her hand, dread filling her bones. Nine strings. The emerald green line mocked her. She can hear Rita’s laugh, filling her ears to the point of suffocation.  _

“No,” she whimpered. “Not again”. 

_ Goosebumps trailed up her arms, as Rita continued to taunt her. “We’re connected now, Trini. You can’t escape me. You can  _ never _ escape me”. _

“Trini!” 

Her eyes flew open, met with a concerned, slightly panicked Kim’s face inches away from her own. She instinctively pushed away, needing some space, some time to recognize what was happening. Frantically, she held up her hands and sighed in relief. It was only a dream.

“Trini?” She turned to see Kim, kneeling beside her on the floor. The comforter she borrowed was across the room, tossed away like nothing when Trini started flailing in her sleep. Kimberly tentatively reached out, pulling back when Trini flinched, still shaken from her ~~dream~~ (nightmare). 

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” God, she hated how small she sounded. Stupid. Weak. 

They sat in silence, Trini avoiding Kim’s gaze. Kim slowly moved her fingers to Trini’s chin, softly turning her head. Instead of being met with a look of pity, like Trini expected, Kim’s eyes held nothing but warmth, care, and . . . and something else. 

“C’mon. You’re sleeping with me tonight. I am making sure you get your full eight hours.” Soft. That was the only word to describe Kimberly in this moment. Her smile, her words, her entire being was so,  _ so _ soft right now. 

Trini nodded, silently following her to bed. 

(Because Trini can never deny Kimberly Hart anything.)

Once settled under the blankets, Kim instantly wrapped her body around Trini. Usually, this would make Trini more anxious, her mind running on overdrive on the implications and what it means. Right now, though? She was just grateful she wasn’t alone. Her arms cradled the taller girl’s waist as she snuggled closer, her breath hot on Kim’s collarbone. She ignored that voice in the back of her head. She'll gladly fall deeper into the sea of Kim's warmth, keeping her feelings to herself to her grave. A content sigh escaped her lips.

(She slept well that night. For the first time since the attack, emerald green was nowhere to be found in her dreams, instead, replaced with pink skies.)

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was debating going more in depth of the actual events of the movie, but quite frankly, I haven't seen it in a while and I didn't want to make up scenes or put things out of order. here's some trini self-reflection, with Kim making sure her best friend ;) is okay 
> 
> what do you guys think so far? love it? hate it?
> 
> if I don't update soon enough, happy holidays to everyone! please stay safe :)


	3. it's really not that fair, fair. i can't help but care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team delves into Trini's past. Someone gets jealous. Trini has a revelation.

“The  _ woods _ ?!” 

Jason flushed as red as his suit. “No one was around! And we had a blanket.”

“At least you had a blanket.” Billy reasoned. His eyebrows furrowed together. “But there are a lot of insects and bugs. Was she comfortable?”

Zack laughed even harder at Billy’s input. He ended up falling off the log he was sitting on, allowing himself to completely wipe out face-first in favor of keeping his bottle from spilling. Trini snorted at the sight. 

They were all gathered around a bonfire, none of them really wanting to go home yet after training. Zack managed to snag some whiskey (he swears he didn’t steal it), and they’ve spent the last hour asking each other questions. It didn’t take long until the topic of sex and relationships came up, because despite their title as earth’s defenders, they were still teenagers.

Poor Jason, he just had to have Zack on his turn, prompting the evil question of, “Where’s the most unusual place you’ve gotten laid?”

Kimberly was quick to defend the red ranger. “That’s not  _ that _ bad. At least he’s  _ had _ sex.” She gave Zack a pointed look. Her tone was light, so he knew there was no real judgement behind her words. They were all surprised when the black ranger revealed that he’s never done the devil’s tango, but they all respected his past and didn’t make him feel bad. 

He held his hands up in defense. “Hey, zesty Zack might not have gotten to that base yet, but I have respect for myself.” He cocked his head. “Of course,  _ you _ wouldn’t think the woods is a bad place, miss  _ cheerleader _ .” He gave her a look back, his easy-going smile a sign he held no judgement, either. 

It was hard to tell in the dark, but Trini could see Kim turn red as she sputtered, unable to come up with a good rebuttal. She was also quite tipsy, but Trini swears Kim mumbled something along the lines of “locker room isn’t that bad.” She giggled, the alcohol allowing her to be more open with her reactions. She wouldn’t be surprised if Kim had some disaster stories from her previous relationships. 

Her chuckles caught Zack’s attention. “What are you laughing about, crazy girl? Don’t tell me you can top Tarzan over there.” 

Jason shook his head. “Fuck you, Zack.” 

Zack’s boisterous laugh subsided when she didn’t say a teasing response, instead opting to purse her lips and avoid eye contact with everyone. His jaw dropped as his eyes filled with mirth.

“No  _ way _ .” His eyes quickly flickered to Kim, gauging her reaction to the news. Her shock matched his; they couldn’t believe their small friend was not as innocent as they thought. He grinned maniacally. “Spill, the tea, T.”

Kim leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Yeah,  _ T.  _ Do tell.”

Trini gulped. “It’s… not worse than Jason.”

“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, Trini.” Billy frowned. “Guys, back off.”

“No, really it’s okay,” Trini didn’t want them to feel bad. This was a part of her past, and she’s been trying to get herself to share more parts of her with her friends. If Jason can own up to getting dirty in the woods, she can at least reveal this.

“Her name was Kira. We were in the school janitor’s closet.” She mumbled the last part. 

Zack absolutely howled at the irony of the closet. Kim’s emotions became guarded under a mask. Trini felt uneasy at not being able to read her expression. The taller girl always wore her heart on her sleeve; no one had to try hard to figure out what she was feeling.

“Yeah, that’s not worse than mine,” Jason joked lightly. “She sounds like she was pretty important to you.” He wanted to get off the juvenile topic and learn more about their yellow ranger, who rarely opens up to them as it is. 

Trini smiled gratefully. “There’s not much to say, really. She was a lead singer of a band, and I met her at school. She invited me to one of her infamous parties, and we started dating not long after that.” She looked down, allowing the good memories to flit through her mind. It wasn’t often that she let herself reminisce on the past.

“What was she like?” Zack asked softly, a fond expression on his face. Her small smile as she talked revealed that the relationship went deeper than she made it sound.

Trini chuckled. “She was . . . captivating. She knew her own worth, and she didn’t take anyone’s shit.” She took a deep breath, her voice getting softer, harder to hear over the crackling fire. “She had an amazing voice. And she was completely open. She wanted to be public, but I was too scared. That was the big elephant in the room, you know. Whenever we argued, it would always go back to that.” 

Trini was looking at the ground, deep in thought. Unknown to her, the guys were taking glances at Kimberly’s reaction to all of it. The other girl had a frown on her face, one she tried to hide when she realized the others were watching. Her hands betrayed her though, as her fingers fiddled with her strings. (One specific string, in particular).

Trini looked up with a resolved expression and a tight smile. “Anyway, that chapter of my life is done. After my mom caught us, the next thing I knew, all our bags were packed and we moved here.” 

Kim reached over and held her hand. “I’m sorry, Trini.” 

“It’s okay. If we didn’t move here, I wouldn’t have met you guys.” Trini looked at them all individually, before turning her attention to her hands. Their eyes followed suit, each ranger looking at their connected strings in thought. 

“Kira was the fifth string.” Billy realized out loud. “The one that disappeared.”

Trini smiled softly. “Yeah, Bill. She was the fifth string.”

“Wait, what?” Jason turned to Billy. “You can see other people’s strings?”

As the guys got into a conversation about Billy’s gift, Trini could feel someone looking at her. In her peripheral vision, she saw Kim frown momentarily, her eyes tracing the thread connecting the two girl rangers. Trini blinked, and Kim’s face was impassive. Yeah, she’s just imagining things. They locked eyes, and Kim gave her a small, still guarded, smile. 

They continued talking well into the night. Later, when the fire burned out and the alcohol left them feeling drowsy, Trini found herself walking with Kim back to the Hart house. Ever since that night, Trini’s been sleeping over Kim’s as much as possible. The nightmares have gotten better, but only Kim’s presence ensures that they leave her alone until morning. 

They walked in silence, just enjoying each other’s presence. Trini had to focus on making her breaths come out evenly, since Kim decided to grab her hand while walking. (Kim’s learned a long time ago to shorten her strides to match Trini’s short legs.) Even though she couldn’t feel it, Trini could see their strings meet each other where their fingers interlocked. The bright pink contrasted beautifully against the darkness of the night. Can Kim feel her escalating pulse? Does she even realize the effect she has on the yellow ranger?

She tore her eyes away from the distracting string, looking up to find Kim’s attention on her. Trini blinked. “What’s up?”

The silence dragged, just long enough to be awkward. Trini fidgeted, about to ask again when Kim shook her head. She chuckled. Trini stayed confused. What was so funny?

Kim looked back to the street in front of them, letting out a deep sigh. “I’m just realizing how much we really don’t know about each other.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Like, how many total strings have you ever had?”

She cocked her head in thought. “I think eleven?”

Kim hummed in response. They reached her house, and both of them quietly snuck in through the front window. Tonight happened to be one of the times the Hart’s were home, to Kim’s annoyance. After a quick pause at a squeaky floorboard, they successfully reached Kim's room. A silent change to pajamas later, with Trini not turning around until she was absolutely  _ positive _ that Kim was fully clothed, they were lying in bed. Trini was facing the window, Kimberly’s arms around her waist, her eyes slowly closing. 

She’s gotten used to the feel of cuddling with Kimberly. The comfort of being held by the pink ranger lowers Trini’s shields, and she feels protected. She would never admit it out loud, but Kimberly makes her feel secure. The only place she can truly relax is in her arms. 

She could feel herself drifting away, not afraid to see visions of green and gold anymore.

“Tell me about them.”

Trini scrunched her brows together, Kim’s question not fully registering. “Wuh?”

“Your strings.” Her eyes were closed, but she felt Kim interlock their fingers against her stomach. “All eleven of them.”

Despite her innate pull to lose herself to her dreams, Trini felt obligated to talk. She flipped herself over to face Kim, and once she settled she could feel how tense the other girl was. 

Kimberly’s face seemed guarded, and Trini thought she looked a little scared. “Hey,” she breathed softly. She brought her hand on top of Kim’s, her thumb softly caressing it in a comforting manner. She felt the muscles relax.

Kim closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she still looked like she was waiting for something bad to happen. “How many strings were ex-girlfriends?”

“Um.” Not expecting that question, Trini fumbled for a second. She gave Kim a confused look. “Only one. I told you about her.”

Kim’s face flickered with relief before she scoffed and looked away. “Yeah, the one with the amazing voice.” 

Trini looked at her, this uneasy feeling that something was off with the other girl. There was malice in her tone, and Trini got the urge to defend Kira. “I mean, yeah. She was in a band for a reason.”

“Were you in love with her?”

Her words got caught in her throat. Was she in love with Kira? As much as she could have been at the time, for sure. Was it real love? Maybe not, but it felt real to past Trini. 

“Yes.”

“Are you still in love with her?”

Trini paused. The first few months after they moved, Trini cried an embarrassing amount of times. She was her first love, and no one can never truly forget that. Now, though?

“I… still care for her. But I’m not in love with her.” 

Kimberly narrowed her eyes at the slight hesitation. “Would you get back with her, if you could?”

Trini sat up, looking down at her in confusion. “Kim, where is all of this coming from?”

Kimberly sat up as well, looking her in the eyes with the same, guarded expression. “Just answer the question, Trini.”

“I don’t know, okay? I don’t think so? I’m not even sure what true love feels like. But she made me feel loved. And when I think about love, I picture this amazing girl. One who cares for me. Someone I can count on, and I-I know that no matter what happens, I want her by my side. A girl who takes over my mind, a girl I can’t stop thinking about. My body feels so empty without her. When I think about love, I think about-” Trini stopped herself.

_ You. _

Kimberly shook her head. “So you  _ are _ still in love with her.”

“No, that’s not-” Trini sighed. “That’s not who I meant. I wasn’t talking about Kira.”

Pause. Neither of them said anything for a second. 

“So, you’re in love with someone else.” Kimberly’s voice wavered.

Trini looked up to find Kim’s eyes boring into her. “Yes.”

For a split second, a range of emotions passed through Kimberly’s face. She settled with a strained smile. “That’s great.” She pursed her lips and looked down, her fingers fiddling with the blanket. “She’s one lucky girl.”

_ She’s you, you idiot _ .

Trini released a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. She wanted to tell her. She wanted to confess, right in that moment. She wanted to reach out, cradle her face in her hands, and just scream at her how much she loves her. But she was too scared. She couldn’t. 

“I’m the lucky one.” 

Kimberly just nodded slowly. She quirked the corners of her lips into a fake smile, (Trini knows a genuine Kimberly Hart smile, and that was not it), and laid back down on her back, facing the ceiling. “We should probably get some sleep.”

Not knowing what to say, Trini silently leaned back, as well. 

They both laid there, facing the ceiling without a word. Neither of them made a move to get back in their previous position, and the small distance between them was driving Trini insane. Hesitantly, she moved her pinky to press against Kimberly’s hand. For a split second, Kimberly didn’t react. Trini moved to pull back when Kimberly stopped her, instead, holding her hand and interlocking their fingers. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope everyone's safe and healthy. Sorry it took so long for an update. Wow, this was my first fic! I've started writing a lot more since this, and it's pretty insane looking back. 
> 
> both of them are being dumbasses, we love and hate to see it
> 
> thoughts? love it? hate it? thank you all for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> I've read a lot of trimberly fanfics, and it never registered that I can actually write one myself. Note: I'm not a writer. Please don't completely tear apart this fic. I'm aiming for a couple chapters, though I originally intended to make this a short, trimberly one shot with the strings. 
> 
> One of my absolute favorite authors on this site is unicornaffair. Read her Wild Pitch series if you haven't, thank me later. I haven't seen much of other power rangers stuff, other than megaforce, so mentions of other rangers are solely based on characterization in her series. I also used her names for Trini's family members: June, Gabriel, Michael, and Gabe.
> 
> For some reason I see Michael as the more mature, down to earth brother (hence the earthy tones for his colors) and Gabe as the more impulsive one (hence the fiery tones). I tried finding colors that really emphasized the relationship that Trini has with the person, if you disagree feel free to explain you thoughts! (Also: yes, the rangers will all have their respective color. If that wasn't obvious with Trini being yellow lol)
> 
> Please leave any feedback! I absolutely love this fandom, so I decided to dip my toe in actually creating something that people might enjoy :)


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